What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of guten (good) and Morgen (morning).
Which one should you use?
guten Morgen is used specifically in the early part of the day, whereas Guten Tag is the standard greeting used from midday through the afternoon.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a friendly and casual way to greet someone you know well, you can say Hey, guten Morgen. In casual settings with friends or colleagues, you can shorten the phrase to just Morgen! For a polite way to greet someone you are not familiar with or in a professional setting, you can use the more formal Einen guten Morgen wünsche ich Ihnen.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Germany, particularly in coastal areas, the informal greeting Moin is popular among younger people. An extended version, Moin Moin, is often used in northern Germany, especially in Hamburg and Bremen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word guten uses the masculine accusative ending because the phrase is a shortened version of Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Morgen (I wish you a good morning).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡuːtən ˈmɔʁɡən/
Did you know?
- The root of the word Morgen traces back to an ancient Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'to blink' or 'to twinkle'.
- In northern Germany, the greeting Moin is used as a substitute for guten Morgen and can be said at any time of the day or night.
- The term 'morgen' with a lowercase 'm' does not mean 'morning' but instead means 'tomorrow'.
Examples in context
- Hallo Tom. Guten Morgen.Hi, Tom. Good morning!This sentence shows how to use guten Morgen as a simple greeting.Tatoeba #2153221 by Vortarulo, translation #7855406 by shekitten
- Guten Morgen. Wie geht's?Good morning. How are you?This example shows guten Morgen used in a greeting followed by a question.Tatoeba #2045663 by Manfredo, translation #434812 by lukaszpp
- Guten Morgen, mein Schatz!Good morning, my love.This shows guten Morgen used in an affectionate way.Tatoeba #5590982 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5587302 by Hybrid
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian meets Julia in the kitchen for breakfast.
- MaximilianGuten Morgen, Julia!Good morning, Julia!
- JuliaGuten Morgen, Maximilian. Möchtest du Kaffee?Good morning, Maximilian. Do you want coffee?
- MaximilianJa, bitte. Das wäre toll.Yes, please. That would be great.
- JuliaHier ist dein Kaffee.Here is your coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries guten Morgen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Morgen, guten Morgen, morgen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
